"Life is a story that each of us tells to his or her self; and it therefore is a tale told by an unreliable narrator."
David Fromkin

Wednesday, September 7, 2011

The Good, The Bad, and The Ugly

While I had a wonderful trip and experience in my visit to Michigan this August, there were a few disappointing experiences as well.

The Good:
Visiting old friends and family; having a 94th birthday dinner with my mom; watching Verlander win his 18th game at Tiger stadium; living with two monster dogs for a month; visiting Ronald McDonald House and Belle Isle in Detroit; seeing Third Day in concert at DTE; visiting the Ford F-150 assemble line in Dearborn; attending services at Northridge Church, with (my favorite) pastor Brad Powell; revisiting Sleeping Bear Sand Dunes in northern Michigan; and of course golf with my daughter, son-in-law and many dear friends.

The Bad & The Ugly:
Seeing the residential neighborhood near where I had worked completely devastated, and my mom's old home a couple of miles away completely destroyed. And while there are a great many charities, residents and volunteers trying so very hard to revitalize Detroit, seeing architectural landmarks in complete disarray, the filthy streets, abandoned and burnt out businesses and residential areas in Detroit that are so massive as to be discouraging to even the most optimistic city supporters.